by moving the bracket straight down, there is a gap opened between the rear of the bracket and the frame.

this gap can be filled with roughly half the thickness of the lower spacer (because the rear of the bracket is at roughly a 45 degree angle)

the bracket moves straight down (because the front bolt hole will not allow forward or aft movement) but because of the angle of the frame it must be spaced to fill the gap.

hope this clears it up for you

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Ahhh.... Now I got ya!.. The whole cast iron thing gets moved down. I was just looking at where the master cylinder appears to bolt to that piece. And yes, I see what you mean about the top bolts and it all makes perfect sense to me now. Denseness over! At least for now...

I'm scratching my head here - what am I missing? Why do you want to mess with your rear master right away?

Just install the longer shocks, give the belt some slack and take the bike for a ride. Then look at the outside of the belt for any signs of contact with the bellcrank - there's a good chance you won't find any, in which case there's no point lowering the rear master, right?

My belt is 6+ years old with 6,500 miles on it and my bike has had 15" shocks from new. If there'd been regular contact with the bell crank - or any other part - I'd know by now. But there's nothing, except perhaps a very fine line on the back of the belt from pushing the bike out of the garage with no load on it. But you'll have to look very closely to see it.

Me thinks you worry too much.

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Not missing anything. I agree, I'd try it first as is. But, I like to have a contingency plan just in case I'm not comfortable with how close my belt runs to other hard parts. I probably wouldn't "need" it, but it's nice to know that once I spend the cash on a set of shocks, I'm not screwed if my bike exhibits interference issues. Besides, a little extra clearance won't hurt.

The fact that my wire wheels have tubeless tires with tubes in them makes me angry. I am used to keeping a tire plug kit with me, but I'm not patching tubes. Anyone know where I can get some cheap cast wheels that I can run tubeless tires? All the ones I see on line are really pricey and fancy looking,. Or a good way to seal the wire wheels so I can throw the tubes away?

The fact that my wire wheels have tubeless tires with tubes in them makes me angry. I am used to keeping a tire plug kit with me, but I'm not patching tubes. Anyone know where I can get some cheap cast wheels that I can run tubeless tires? All the ones I see on line are really pricey and fancy looking,. Or a good way to seal the wire wheels so I can throw the tubes away?

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Keep an eye out on Ebay or Craigslist - you can regularly pick up stock cast wheels for a good price.

The fact that my wire wheels have tubeless tires with tubes in them makes me angry. I am used to keeping a tire plug kit with me, but I'm not patching tubes. Anyone know where I can get some cheap cast wheels that I can run tubeless tires? All the ones I see on line are really pricey and fancy looking,. Or a good way to seal the wire wheels so I can throw the tubes away?

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Or, keep your spokes and convert your wheels to run tubeless. The internet is full of different DIY methods for doing this and there are companies that offer it as a service as well. I like the looks of spoked wheels but I'm like you about being stranded with no way to repair a simple puncture.

The fact that my wire wheels have tubeless tires with tubes in them makes me angry. I am used to keeping a tire plug kit with me, but I'm not patching tubes. Anyone know where I can get some cheap cast wheels that I can run tubeless tires? All the ones I see on line are really pricey and fancy looking,. Or a good way to seal the wire wheels so I can throw the tubes away?

Or, keep your spokes and convert your wheels to run tubeless. The internet is full of different DIY methods for doing this and there are companies that offer it as a service as well. I like the looks of spoked wheels but I'm like you about being stranded with no way to repair a simple puncture.

Well, as I said, there are lots of DIY methods floating around the net... Lots of people do it with common off the shelf sealants and use different methods. Here's just a few of the things I found with a quick google search...

Of course I can't vouch for the reliability of any of these although I have read of quite a few people that have done it and had ridden tens of thousands of miles with no problems. But honestly, if you don't care about keeping the spokes, I'd do what you were originally thinking and just get mags and be done with it. I just tend to like spoked wheels on certain bikes for aesthetic reasons. Damn! There I go now! Putting form before function! :huh

Hmmm... THIS STUFF sounds like it could be a useful product for this application if using the Teamincomplete method linked to above...

Wow, that would be perfect. Does that mean they would pay me $500 to swap wheels? That would cover gas and a couple of nights in a hotel.
Too bad I don't have time to actually make that trip.

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That's quite a leap - the Plainville guy wants to sell his wheels for $500 OR trade them for wheels like yours, and you want him to give you the wheels AND the 500 zorts? You sure you don't have a KLR?

I dunno, they could be shipped, or he may be going to Daytona in a couple of weeks, who knows - send him an email, if you want. Mention my name - I'm big with the Plainvillians.

That's quite a leap - the Plainville guy wants to sell his wheels for $500 OR trade them for wheels like yours, and you want him to give you the wheels AND the 500 zorts? You sure you don't have a KLR?

I dunno, they could be shipped, or he may be going to Daytona in a couple of weeks, who knows - send him an email, if you want. Mention my name - I'm big with the Plainvillians.

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Funny that you mention KLR... I was seriously considering one as a second bike for buzzing arond town and in crummy weather. I don't like having to polish the Harley's chrome every day!
I do like the looks of that nipple ring kit that Randy posted. Nipple rings... haha. I definitely want to do that, but I think I will wait for when I buy new tires, and do everything at once. I'm thinking radials...:eek1

The rear shocks are 13" Showa nitrogen charged shocks R 54552-96A (right) and L 54542 -96A (left). I really like the ride these shocks provide, firm but not stiff. I have had a Kraftech rigid custom amd a lowered 883C; both of those bikes were hard riding bikes after fifty miles or so. The shocks on the 883C were limited in travel because of their 8" length.

again and again. They're crude, heavy, slow, unrefined, loud, they vibrate and drop parts etc. But I always came to the same conclusion: I just WANTED one. So fuck it! Once in a while in this world you just gotta say "fuck it" and do what makes you happy despite rational thought processes. This bike makes me happy every time I ride it or look at it !

Once in a while in this world you just gotta say "fuck it" and do what makes you happy despite rational thought processes. This bike makes me happy every time I ride it or look at it !

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Hence the last line in my sig. It actually used to say "FUCK IT" but I thought that was a little crude for a signature that appeared in all my posts, so I changed it to be a little less... crude...

But yeah, that's a philosophy I came to at the end of my last relationship. Seems to work for me, cause now I'm about to marry the woman of my dreams. The one that just so happened to give me my Sportster for Christmas last month! The only reason I'm with her now is that I said, "FUCK IT!" So, in a round about way, me saying "FUCK IT" also got me into Sportsters....

But yeah, that's a philosophy I came to at the end of my last relationship. Seems to work for me, cause now I'm about to marry the woman of my dreams. The one that just so happened to give me my Sportster for Christmas last month! The only reason I'm with her now is that I said, "FUCK IT!" So, in a round about way, me saying "FUCK IT" also got me into Sportsters....[/QUOTE]

Im trading my Bagger on a "new" XR 1200 X, so i know the meaning of FUCK IT. Ride what you want Sportys are the best running Harley motor. The best built. Forget what all the pirate posers say Sportys have always been the shit. Looking forward to riding the snot out the bike. I think we may be onto a movement here. Fuck it. I have tried to live my life on my own terms sometimes you can some times you gotta just say FUCK IT.

again and again. They're crude, heavy, slow, unrefined, loud, they vibrate and drop parts etc. But I always came to the same conclusion: I just WANTED one. So fuck it! Once in a while in this world you just gotta say "fuck it" and do what makes you happy despite rational thought processes. This bike makes me happy every time I ride it or look at it !

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Amen to that! I bought my Sportster last month brand new, and its taken a while to 'gel' with the thing but your post sums it up for me.
I think it would be like asking a pilot - would you prefer to fly a modern day fighter jet (smooth, fast, effective, deadly efficient) or a WWII Mustang or Spitfire (slower, noisier, cruder etc).
I bet most pilots would take the vintage option and, to me, thats the difference between my Sportster and a Honda or Yamaha inline 4..

Ok..First time I have pulled the choke on..anything to get it started today :huh Freeken sportster's anyway..
So experts, tell me why I shouldn't by a damn nice "94 1200 for $5000.

17,000 miles with a 5 gal bucket full of gold live to ride..and freedom something or other..Or at least thats where all that stuff will end up. Extra tank and fenders, saddle bags ect. Sounded nice. Told the guy I couldnt ride it today as I didnt bring my helmet..:huh I thought he was going to pass out.
I want the earlier models for the lack of FI and unpainted motor, if that makes sense.
Lets hear it.
Gary

Ok..First time I have pulled the choke on..anything to get it started today :huh Freeken sportster's anyway..
So experts, tell me why I shouldn't by a damn nice "94 1200 for $5000.

17,000 miles with a 5 gal bucket full of gold live to ride..and freedom something or other..Or at least thats where all that stuff will end up. Extra tank and fenders, saddle bags ect. Sounded nice. Told the guy I couldnt ride it today as I didnt bring my helmet..:huh I thought he was going to pass out.
I want the earlier models for the lack of FI and unpainted motor, if that makes sense.
Lets hear it.
Gary

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Without seeing any pics of it, $5k is too high, IMO.
I paid $3500 for my '96 1200S with 16k miles a few years ago.